Literary Theory Psychological Criticism Critics view literature through the lens of modern psychology, exploring human behavior (conscious, subconscious and unconscious), literary language and symbolism. Psychological criticism often employs three approaches: the creative process of the author, the author's motivation and behavior, and the psychoanalysis of an author's fictional characters. Sociological Criticism examines literature in the cultural, economic and political context in which it is written or received, and explores the relationship between artist and society. Elements of Fiction Analysis The purpose of literature is not to simply reveal information, but to reveal something about the characters and their lives – to reveal the human condition. The protagonist is the central character, or hero, and is considered dynamic. In other words, the character grows as a person, learns a vital lesson, or becomes something else. A static character, despite credibility, does not change in the story. Point of View (POV) Stories are told from the point of view of a narrator. When the narrator is a character it is referred to as first-person narration. If we have reason to doubt the information we are getting, we call the narrator unreliable. In third person narration, the narrator can have omniscience (all-knowing) or limited omniscience (narrator tells us the feelings/thoughts of only one character). Stream of consciousness narration shows us the continuous stream of inner feelings and thoughts of one character. Plot & Conflict Plot is a linked chain of events. A narrator may present these events out of chronological order through a flashback. A complication in the character’s lives introduces the story’s conflict, which occurs when the protagonist struggles against an antagonist or opposing force. There are four different kinds of conflict: Person-against-self - an internal conflict of feelings. Person-against-person - the typical protagonist vs. antagonist scenario. Person-against-society - the protagonist battles against the larger organizations of society (or a system of beliefs held by society). Person-against-nature - the protagonist is threatened by a component of nature. The chain of events, known as the rising action, builds to a climax, the point in a story where the conflict is decided. Sometimes a writer will use the technique of foreshadowing by planting clues about the outcome or about conflict that will occur later in the story. Following the climax is a resolution, or denouement. In a closed ending, loose ends are tied up – the fate and perhaps the future of the characters is revealed. An open ending does not offer a complete resolution – the reader is left to imagine the fate of the characters. Theme Theme in literature is the idea that holds the story together, such as a comment about society, human nature, or the human condition. It is the main idea or central meaning of a piece of writing. Symbol/Motif The wri ...

1. Literary Theory
Psychological Criticism
Critics view literature through the lens of modern psychology,
exploring human behavior (conscious, subconscious and
unconscious), literary language and symbolism. Psychological
criticism often employs three approaches: the creative process
of the author, the author's motivation and behavior, and the
psychoanalysis of an author's fictional characters. Sociological
Criticism examines literature in the cultural, economic and
political context in which it is written or received, and explores
the relationship between artist and society.
Elements of Fiction Analysis
The purpose of literature is not to simply reveal information,
but to reveal something about the characters and their lives – to
reveal the human condition. The protagonist is the central
character, or hero, and is considered dynamic. In other words,
the character grows as a person, learns a vital lesson, or
becomes something else. A static character, despite credibility,
does not change in the story.
Point of View (POV)
Stories are told from the point of view of a narrator. When the
narrator is a character it is referred to as first-person narration.
If we have reason to doubt the information we are getting, we
call the narrator unreliable. In third person narration, the
narrator can have omniscience (all-knowing) or limited
omniscience (narrator tells us the feelings/thoughts of only one
character). Stream of consciousness narration shows us the
continuous stream of inner feelings and thoughts of one
character.
Plot & Conflict
Plot is a linked chain of events. A narrator may present these

2. events out of chronological order through a flashback. A
complication in the character’s lives introduces the story’s
conflict, which occurs when the protagonist struggles against an
antagonist or opposing force. There are four different kinds of
conflict:
Person-against-self - an internal conflict of feelings.
Person-against-person - the typical protagonist vs. antagonist
scenario. Person-against-society - the protagonist battles against
the larger organizations of
society (or a system of beliefs held by society).
Person-against-nature - the protagonist is threatened by a
component of nature.
The chain of events, known as the rising action, builds to a
climax, the point in a story where the conflict is decided.
Sometimes a writer will use the technique of foreshadowing by
planting clues about the outcome or about conflict that will
occur later in the story. Following the climax is a resolution, or
denouement. In a closed ending, loose ends are tied up – the
fate and perhaps the future of the characters is revealed. An
open ending does not offer a complete resolution – the reader is
left to imagine the fate of the characters.
Theme
Theme in literature is the idea that holds the story together,
such as a comment about society, human nature, or the human
condition. It is the main idea or central meaning of a piece of
writing.
Symbol/Motif
The writer may use a symbol, a person, object, situation, or
action that operates on two levels of meaning. A motif is an
image, object, character, situation, theme, or word that the
writer uses repeatedly throughout a story – many times it carries
a symbolic meaning.
Setting
Setting is the locale in which you find the characters.
Description of setting can establish the atmosphere, mood, or
tone of the story, the emotional state the writer wants you to be

3. in while you read the story.
The class of Master Negotiation is one of the most useful
courses that I have took in this semester. It has helped me to
build upon my expertise in managing negotiation, showing the
importance of preparation. Especially, the skills that were
discussed in classes really helped me to achieve the goal in the
real world negotiation. Experienced in the real world
negotiation and implemented the negation skill, I have truly
understood preparation and discovery are so important, even
more than the negotiation itself. The names were mentioned in
the further information are the alias because of the protection of
privacy.
Before I reached the negotiation itself, I would like talk about
the background of it first. Like most of Chinese parents did, as
the first to be parent, I and my wife, Xiao, chose to hire a
professional baby care advisor for help to take care our new
born baby. The main purposes of a baby care advisor are help
mother to take care of baby and take care of the mother like
cooking. Most of parents hire the advisor for 30 to 40 days.
Therefore, I with my wife had tried to look for a good advisor
for us after we found out my wife was pregnant. About 7
months pregnancy, we found out the Lan Baby Care Office,
which intermediary for baby care advisor, through the
recommendation of my friend. The Lan had helped us find the
best advisor for us. About 1 month later, after interviewed
couple advisors, I finically reached the agreement and signed
the contract that we use Ms. Li as our baby care advisor, and
paid the down payment for making the reservation.
However, the accident happened on February 9th, 2017. Around
3 clock afternoon, my wife felt her maybe being will in labor,
and we went to hospital. After 5 at night, we were all set in the
labor room, I sent a message to Lan for noticing we probably
need our advisor for next day. About 1 hours later, I received

4. the reply from Lan. They told me Ms. Li would not reach the
agreement and they need to reschedule another advisor for us. I
was so indignant and I called the manager of Lan to find out
what’s going on. The manager gave the reason that Ms. Li had
to take care her daughter’s baby. During the conversation, the
manager made the opening offer that the company would
reschedule their best advisor for us, and couple minutes later,
they sent the brief of the new advisor Ms. Yang. The manager
said she has 20 years’ experience for professional new born
caring and she is one of the top 10 baby care advisor in
CALIFORNIA. Finally, the Lan agreed my counter-offer that I
would use the Ms. Yang as our advisor with current contract
price after I kept to emphasize that the Lan has responsibility
for this situation.
However, the situation of this negotiation became more
complicated since we left hospital to the home. The negotiation
became to involve multiple parities. When we first met with Ms.
Yang, she told us she would not able to take this job because
she did not reached the payment agreement with the Lan. She
told us the manager promised to her we would offer to her 25%
tips, and the true was we signed the contract with 15% tips rate.
Ms. Yang is not official advisor in the Lan Baby Care Office,
and the only reason she came to Dallas because her office that
she signs in Los Angles recommended to her. After she got to
here and discussed with the Lan, she found out she never took a
job with the payment that the Lan offered as the top advisor in
CALIFORNIA. After the discussion with Ms. Yang, I called the
manager of the Lan for this situation. The manager told me he
does not know this situation and needed to call me back after
check the situation. During the break that the manager called, I
made a call with my friend who recommended the Lan to me.
His is the member of Chinese chamber of commerce in Dallas.
After a brief conversation with him, I found out there was
nobody at hand for the Lan, and they could not able to find any
available advisor for me in short time. Then, the manager called
me and confirm the situation. They made an offer that they

5. would find another for us as soon as possible. But I asked him
about could you solve this in a day and if not what means of we
hire an baby care advisor for days do not have any advice
because in general, the first week from the baby get home is the
most important period to need an baby care advisor. The
manager told us they could offer to us some kind of discount.
With the counter-offer, I called a break for the excuses that I
needed to think about it and discussed with my wife. During the
break, I talked with Ms. Yang for her opinion in which situation
she like to stay and take my offer. After the discussion with Ms.
Yang, I found out she was just not happy the Lan lied to her and
caused she to rejected couple offers. So I made an opening offer
for her that she could take the payment that I signed with the
Lan. In another words, she could take the full of the amount. In
the end, Ms. Yang agreed my offer. Next, I called back to the
manager. We were not agreed with his counter-offer. We
thought the first couple days after the baby get home is the most
important period to have an advisor. Because of no guarantees
that the Lan could find a replacer in one day, we would like to
cancel the contract without requiring the return of down
payment for permission of negotiating with advisor directly.
Meanwhile, I kept mentioned that the Lan is the parity which
broke the contract first and not able to find replacer in the
schedule days. Moreover, if we cannot meet an agreement, we
definitely complained about this situation with my friends who
recommended the Lan to me. If I do that it definitely hurt the
Lan’s reputation. In the end, the manager agreed with my offer
except he need Ms. Yang payback the flight ticket fee that they
paid for her. Therefore, I added Ms. Yang into a group call with
us, and finally we reached our agreement that I will directly pay
the full amount that signed in the contract with the Lan to Ms.
Yang and I will not require the return of down payment form the
Lan.
To summary this negotiation, the skills and techniques that
discussed in classes really helped me to reach the goal of this
real world negotiation. With the experience of negotiating, I

6. noticed how useful that a good preparation bring to me. After
the break that the manager called for affirming the situation that
Ms. Yang would not accept the offer with the price rate that the
Lan offered, I did a good preparation for next negotiation. First
of all, I called the friend to find out situation that the Lan
cannot able to find a appropriate replacer for me. This let me to
persist in canceling the contract with the Lan. Moreover, at this
time, I was not engaged further negation until I think I am
really prepared, so I rejected and ignored incoming calls form
the Lan’s. Another skill that I think it was useful is calling a
break. The break was the turn point for this negation. After the
Lan made an counter-offer, I called a break for the excuses of
discussing with my wife. In the break, I successfully convinced
Ms. Yang to agree my offer, and I came back with my counter-
offer.
All in all, the success for reaching the outcome of this
negotiation is caused by well preparation and good breaking
call. However, I have noticed fail to having any BATNA is still
my weakness. If any of other parities doesn't agree the outcome.
I don't have any plan to continue this negotiation and will bring
damages for my benefit. I hope I can triumph over this
weakness in future negotiations.